NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

After a wild opening round last weekend in Michigan, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series Countdown to the Championship playoffs roll into North Carolina for the inaugural NHRA Nationals at The Rock at Rockingham Dragway.

It will be the second straight race of the Countdown where teams don’t have a big book of tuning data, and after last weekend’s surprises at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park, it certainly feels like anything could happen again. The NHRA big show hasn’t competed at Rockingham Dragway since the non-points Winston Invitational events of the late 1980s and “90s..

The Top Fuel ranks have been dominated throughout 2026 by Kalitta Motorsports teammates Shawn Langdon and Doug Kalitta, and that continued at the Countdown opener, when Langdon again laid waste to the record book with the two fastest speeds in history. He moved back into the points lead with a win.

Jordan Vandergriff, in his first season in Funny Car with John Force Racing, opened the playoffs with a win in Michigan and will look to keep rolling against a loaded lineup that includes regular-season champ Matt Hagan, Ron Capps, J.R. Todd, and back-to-back world champ Austin Prock.

Matt Hartford moved into the Pro Stock points lead in Martin as part of a wild Countdown opener, which was won by Tory Coughlin Jr. He’ll look to stay on top going against regular-season champion Dallas Glenn, six-time world champs Greg Anderson and Erica Enders, and the always threatening presence of Greg and Aaron Stanfield.

Reigning Pro Stock Motorcycle champion Richard Gadson holds a slim points lead against John Hall, who opened the postseason with a win. Other standouts like Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals winner Matt and his wife, Angie, past world champ Gaige Herrera, and Chase Van Sant.

SCHEDULE

FRIDAY, Sept. 25
NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series qualifying at 8:00 a.m.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying at 1:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, Sept. 26
NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series eliminations at 8:00 a.m.
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series qualifying at 12:00 pm and 2:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, Sept. 27
NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series eliminations begin at 11:00 a.m.

TELEVISION

Sunday, Sept. 27, FOX Sports 1 (FS1), will televise three hours of qualifying coverage at 11:00 a.m. ET
Sunday, Sept. 27, FOX Sports 1 (FS1) will televise three hours of finals coverage at 3:00 p.m. ET

NATIONAL RECORDS

Top Fuel - 3.623 sec. by Brittany Force, Sept. ‘19, Reading, Pa.; 346.95 mph by Shawm Langdon, September ’26, Martin, Mich.
Funny Car - 3.793 sec. by Robert Hight, Aug. '17, Brainerd, Minn.; 341.68 mph by Austin Prock, Nov. ’24, Pomona, Calif.
Pro Stock – 6.443 sec. by Greg Anderson, March ‘25, Gainesville, Fla.; 215.55 mph by Erica Enders, May ’14, Englishtown, N.J.
Pro Stock Motorcycle – 6.627 sec. by Gaige Herrera, October ‘23, Dallas; 205.04 mph by Matt Smith, July ’21, Sonoma, Calif.